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Howls of protest at dog meat festival

Dog meat is prized in China for its warming qualities but opposition to its consumption is growing (Getty)

CHINESE dog lovers have launched an unprecedented campaign against restaurants
in the southern city of Yulin in Guangxi province in protest at its annual
dog meat festival.

Up to 10,000 animals are expected to be eaten during next weekend’s festival,
which is timed to coincide with the summer solstice. The meat is
traditionally washed down with lychee wine.

The event is causing controversy, however, in a country where people are not
usually squeamish about what they eat.

Last month the actress Yang Mi posted a plea to the government to ban the
festival, with more than 72,000 people commenting on her message on Sina
Weibo, China’s biggest social network site.

One restaurateur said she was receiving up to 30 threatening phone calls a day
from dog lovers. Last week 10 protesters were detained by authorities after
trying to liberate dogs being held in cages at local markets.